April 7, 2007

So I ask, how long does it take to sell a really cute place at the beach in Malibu?
Longer than I thought, apparently. Prepared to move at the drop of a hat (you may recall the saga described in my blog post of Dec. 17), with boxes at the ready just screaming to be stuffed with the physical proof of our lives, we, and they, remain…. unpacked.

Soon, though. Things are picking up now that the season has turned toward the sun. Funny thing– the ocean and sky are clearer and more beautiful in the winter months, and I almost feel apologetic for the grey-white haze that obscures the ocean’s horizon most days now. As prospective buyers visit, one after another hears my docent-like intonations of, “on clear days you can see Catalina from this window,” and, “when it’s not so hazy, from the hot tub you’re looking straight across the Santa Monica Bay toward Palos Verdes!”. In these partial white-out conditions, one can only hope people have a little imagination.

The oddest, most Malibu/Hollywood-esque aspect to this process has been just who some of the prospective buyers are. Easily two thirds of our many contestants are looking at our three bedroom place as a second, sometimes even third home. Whoa. There’s a lot of wealth out there, regardless of what the economy is doing right now. But more amusingly, several of our visitors– and we never know ahead of time who a realtor is bringing– have turned out to be Really Famous People. The scorecard has included a famous actress, a famous rock star from a major 80’s group, and, at nine o’clock this morning as I opened the door in my unsuspecting, bleary-eyed stupor, a very famous athlete– at his peak, the greatest and best known in his field. There’s something both bizarre and funny about giving the house tour, walking into my master bathroom with one of these celebrities and pointing out the virtues of the new hot water heater or the large storage closet. But yes, it’s true, the famous and wealthy have plumbing needs, just like the rest of us.

Oh, and did I mention that this is a doublewide mobilehome, and that some of these places in Paradise Cove (not ours) go for two and a half million dollars??
Welcome to Malibu!

There is most certainly a level of absurdity that I will fondly miss when we move…. it’s amazing I don’t compose circus music. But living here so many years, I think it plays constantly in my head!